RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, was a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada.

In 2007, RailAmerica was acquired by Fortress Investment Group. Before that, it traded on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol RRA. It was relisted in October 2009 with the ticker symbol RA.

On June 30, 2010, the company announced that it had acquired Atlas Railroad Construction, a construction and maintenance company operating in the Northeast and Midwest United States, for US$24 million.

In April 2011, RailAmerica made its first shortline purchase in over five years by initiating a deal with Gulf and Ohio Railways to acquire three Alabama shortlines for $12.7 million.

On July 23, 2012, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced that it intended to purchase RailAmerica in a deal valued at $1.39 billion. Approval of the purchase was granted by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on December 19, 2012. While awaiting the decision, Genesee & Wyoming put RailAmerica control in the hands of a trust. They assumed control on December 28, 2012, and the company was in the process of integration to G&W.

Former subsidiaries

RailAmerica controlled the following railroads. It acquired some through purchase of other holding companies: RailLink Canada in July 1999, RailTex in February 2000, ParkSierra and StatesRail in January 2002, and the rail properties of Alcoa in September 2005.

In addition to those listed below, RailAmerica's prior owner, Fortress Investment Group, purchased the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) in September 2007 from Florida East Coast Industries. Although Fortress maintained a level of common control between the two railroads, FEC was never made a formal part of the RailAmerica family, and Fortress did not include FEC in the RailAmerica spinoff.

RailAmerica was founded by Gary O. Marino and John H. Marino in 1986.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Company

!Acquired from

!Date

!Notes

|-

|Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway

|StatesRail

|

|-

|Arizona and California Railroad

|ParkSierra

|

|-

|Bauxite and Northern Railway

|Alcoa

|

|-

|<!--South Carolina Central Railroad d/b/a -->Carolina Piedmont Railroad

|RailTex

|

|-

|Central Michigan Railway

|direct

|

|Leased by Huron and Eastern Railway

|-

|Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad

|RailTex

|

|-

|Connecticut Southern Railroad

|RailTex

|

|-

|Kyle Railroad

|StatesRail

|

|-

|Massena Terminal Railroad

|Alcoa

|

|-

|Point Comfort and Northern Railway

|Alcoa

|

|-

|Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad

|ParkSierra

|

|-

|Ventura County Railroad

|direct

|

|-

|<!--North Carolina and Virginia Railroad d/b/a -->Virginia Southern Railroad

|RailTex

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|Arizona Eastern Railway

|StatesRail

|

|Sold December 2004 to Permian Basin Railways

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|<!--RaiLink d/b/a -->Central Western Railway

|RaiLink

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|Delaware Valley Railway

|direct

|

|Lease transferred March 1999 to Brandywine Valley Railroad

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|E&N Railway

|direct

|

|Sold June 2006 to Southern Railway of British Columbia

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|Evansville Terminal Company

|direct

|

|Sold September 1997 to John H. Marino

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|Ferronor

|direct

|

|Leased Potrerillos Railway in January 2002; sold February 2004

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|Gettysburg Railway

|direct

|

|Sold October 1997 to John H. Marino; included Gettysburg Scenic Rail Tours

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|J.K. Line, Inc.

|TP&W

|

|Leased by TP&W since 1998; owned by Cargill; service ended in April 2002

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|<!--RaiLink d/b/a -->Lakeland and Waterways Railway<!--including "Coronado Bonnyville"?-->

|RaiLink

|

|Sold August 2000 to KBN, Inc.

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|Ontario L'Orignal Railway

|RailTex

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|Plainview Terminal Company

|direct

|

|<!--no idea-->

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|St. Croix Valley Railroad

|direct

|<!--text says September 8; table says August-->

|Sold August 2000 to KBN, Inc.

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad

|direct

|

|Sold December 2005 to Permian Basin Railways

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|<!--SWKR Operating Company d/b/a -->San Pedro and Southwestern Railway

|StatesRail

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|South Central Tennessee Railroad

|direct

|

|Sold December 2000 to Henry G. Hohorst et al.

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|<!--Austin and Northwestern Railroad d/b/a -->Texas-New Mexico Railroad

|RailTex

|

|Sold May 2002 to Permian Basin Railways

|-bgcolor=e7e7e7

|West Texas and Lubbock Railroad

|direct

|

|Leased May 2002 to Permian Basin Railways subsidiary West Texas and Lubbock Railway; sold December 2004 to Permian Basin Railways

|}

References

  • RailAmerica (September 9, 2005), RailAmerica Selected to Acquire Four Railroads from Alcoa; Additionally Announces Lease with CSX Transportation for the 48 Mile Fremont Branch. Retrieved September 13, 2005.
  • Yahoo Finance, RailAmerica Inc. (RRA). Retrieved September 13, 2005.
  • Official site